


Frozen in Time.

by Allutra



Category: Frozen in Time - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24275758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allutra/pseuds/Allutra
Summary: The main character is an 18 year old boy, Leo, whose father was a main researcher in cryostasis. Leo plays a big part in his father's research, as he is constantly at the lab with his father, and is always helping in any way he can. He and four others, including his sister, Jade, were chosen to be in a two-week long test of the pods, but they were never awakened. They finally wake up in the year 2357, 337 years after they were first put into the pods. The story follows these young protagonists while they figure out how to survive in this incredible new setting. Many societies have arisen across the globe, all having good relationships with one another. The leaders all come together in the "Grand Meeting" twice a year. The leaders are worshiped as 'gods' by their respective peoples, all carrying "sacred" weapons or tools. The crew meets many of these societies along the way of their journey, and have many problems they have to solve in all different settings.
Comments: 1





	1. Chapter 1

“See you soon.” Those were the last words I ever heard my father say. My memory is hazy, but I remember being in the cryostasis pod, seeing my father's hands on the glass in front of me, and my vision slowly fading. The next thing I knew, I woke up, but my surroundings were completely foreign to me. The glass is still closed, but I can see outside clearly, which means the freezing has been completely undone. Many questions came to mind. Where was I? How long has it been? Where's my father? Who undid the freezing? But I had to remain calm. If it wasn't my father that released me, I could be in danger. My body felt stiff, and I'm seriously lacking energy, given I haven't eaten since the last time I was awake. I figured the freezing would stop hunger for when I woke up, but oh well, nothing I can do now. I hit the emergency release switch so I can take in my surroundings. The first thing I see is the blinding sunlight, it takes me a moment to regain my vision.  
Finally, I begin to look around. The lab is in ruins, holes in every wall, and vines have completely overtaken the entire space. The layout is as I remember, but it has aged drastically. Five pods line each wall,with four desks in the middle, two facing the north wall and the others facing the south. Papers are strewn everywhere, the desks, the floor, even some are stuck on the walls, somehow. I still have no idea how long it's been, but it seems like decades, maybe even more. I don't understand how the ice could've lasted this long. Backup power? No way. There's no way it could have lasted this long. I look at all the other pods, and what I see is.. disturbing, to say the least. The walls have crumbled and rubble has consumed them all, except for mine. I don't even want to think what the people inside are like now. I leave that thought for later, and continue my search. I need to find something, anything that could lead me to figuring out what year it is. I make my way toward where I think my father's old workstation was, and I falter to a stop. I see the oak desk that I had spent so many hours sitting behind, watching my father work. The memories start flooding back, so many late nights with the old man, trying to help him figure out equations, running simulations, desperately trying to finish the pods. There are still papers everywhere, most of them seriously aged, I can't even make out the words on most of them. But one in particular sticks out to me. It's on the edge of the desk, nearly fallen off. Only three words cover the page, in red, crude, large lettering. “I've been waiting.”  
Reading those words, all of the breath that was in my lungs exits at once. It's the only one of the pages that isn't faded, and it seems to be written in some liquid.. rather than a pen. Blood? I struggle to catch my breath for a few minutes, my mind going into overdrive trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. Someone knows I'm here. Or could it be jokers trying to mess with passersby? Who knows. The one thing I do know, is that I need to get out of here, and either find civilization or find somewhere I can survive on my own. But first, I grab a piece of paper. I doubt I can find a working pen or pencil around here, so I resort to this odd black sludge that is laying in pools all around the desks. I'm too much in a rush to even attempt to figure out what it is. I drag my finger through, get a good amount and write “Who are you?” in big letters across the page. If there really is someone looking for me, they're going to return here, maybe soon. I need to try to figure out if they're friend or foe before even considering making contact.  
With that, I walk towards the biggest hole in the wall, and I get my first look of the outside. It quite literally takes my breath away. The lab was built on top of a giant hill, to make sure that unwanted visitors stay away. It used to be surrounded by buildings of our town, but it's all gone. Well, the skeletons of the old structures are still somewhat visible, but a massive forest has overtaken every single one of them. Giant green trees, of a species that I've never seen before, tower over everything, some nearing the peak of the hill I'm standing on. It outstretches for around a mile, until it suddenly cuts off. I can't tell if there are just smaller trees or if it really ends there, but that's for another time. I see no signs of people, there's no way someone could survive here long term anyway. This just adds on to the mystery of how long I was in that pod, it's starting to seem like centuries rather than decades. The thought terrifies me. How will I, a somewhat nerdy 18 year old boy survive in this alone? I was hoping to be able to find people but that seems impossible. The only sign of life I've seen is that note, but I haven't the slightest clue what their intentions are. The writing seemed to be in blood, so I obviously assume that they're not someone I want to meet any time soon. I decide to try to make my way towards the end of the treeline, and begin my descent. With my body still being stiff, I take it slow, trying to work up speed as I go along. Making my way downhill when my muscles haven't been used in so long is rough, to say the least. Every bump, every dip, every step hurts. I know I must get away from the lab, and I have to find food. Those thoughts keep me going. Also, what happened to the lab? What happened to civilization? There are so many unanswered questions, and I'm determined to find the answers. After maybe an hour of struggle, I finally reach the bottom of the hill. All that walking really gave me time to think, but it only led to more questions than I had before, but they will have to wait. I need to survive. That takes priority. I finally take in my surroundings, escaping my thoughts. All I see is trees. Great. I’m not sure what I really expected, but I’m still slightly disappointed. I get a closer look at these trees, and my suspicion is confirmed. I have no fucking clue what these are. They’re not any species I’ve ever seen, and that’s a bit concerning. I learned a lot from my father, since I was homeschooled by him for most of my life. I received my diploma when I was 14, and since then I was always in the lab with him. He was mainly researching cryostasis, but his partners worked on all types of projects, and they accepted me in and taught me as well. I learned so much from all of them, and I have no clue what regular schooling is like, but I loved it. Growing up around the lab was always interesting, there was never a boring moment. Mom often worried about us because my father and I both just got lost in our work, not realizing that an entire day had passed until it was far later than we were meant to leave. Most nights consisted of us being yelled at, but we would just chuckle silently, sharing glances until Mom would join in, she knew what we were like and always expected it, she just loved putting on a show. My memory has been hazy since I’ve woken up, but that was to be expected. My father made me memorize the list of possible side effects and they’ve slowly been coming back to me. A lot of them came true, like the faulty memory, a shit ton of fatigue. That’s all I can remember for now, but I’m sure that they’ll come back to me soon enough. I’ve been thinking a lot about my family, trying desperately to remember everything. Only small details have come to me so far, like Mom yelling and working with Dad. I can’t even remember their names, hell, I can’t even remember my own. There was meant to be a list of certain details that were important to remember engraved next to the pods, but with the lab being in ruins, they were indecipherable. One set of memories has stuck out to me, though. The birth of my little sister, Jade, short for Jayden. My parents liked shortening our names, I think they did the same for me, but I’ve no idea. Damn it, I’ve gotten lost in my thoughts again. I’ve been walking for about 20 minutes now. I see nothing different about my surroundi- Wait. Is that running water? The sound is faint, but I’m fairly certain that I hear it. I take off sprinting in the direction of the sound, and after 5 minutes of tripping over roots, I finally make it to the river. My first instinct is to drink, but I know better than that. I need to find a container so I can boil the water and make it drinkable. Well, “finding” a container is near impossible, so I get to work. Luckily, I spot what looks like clay in the bottom of the river. Thank God that my mom was an artist and loved doing pottery, she even forced Dad to convert the shed into her studio. I’ll save those thoughts for later, and start gathering the clay. The process is boring, I’ll spare you the details. Just know it includes breaking up a shit ton of clay, letting it dry, throwing a big ass rock around, and gathering things to make a fire, which I should’ve probably done beforehand, but whatever. After about an hour’s work, I had a roughly shaped pot to be cooked. Thankfully, I still had a few hours of daylight left, which should be plenty. Now that I’ve got a water source figured out, all that’s left is food. I think about eating some berries that I saw around the forest but, to avoid risk of poison, I throw that thought aside. Spear fishing? I did see fish in the river as I was gathering clay, but I can’t be sure that I’d be any good at it. I didn’t see any wildlife, other than the fish. I will just start panicking if I think about it too much, so I just decide to make a spear. Keep in mind, I’ve never made a spear, so this should be interesting. I attempt to make a sort of knife from a sturdy stone I find near the riverbank, by hammering it into shards with a larger rock. First shard is tiny, maybe 3 inches long, and way too thick. I try again, and again, and again. It takes quite a few rocks, many times hitting my hand and screaming curses, and a lot of time. After about 30 minutes, I finally get a decently shaped shard and I begin trying to sharpen it a bit on the hammer stone. It takes about 5 minutes, but I get it quite sharp considering it was a part of a rock no more than 40 minutes prior. I mean, it’s not “cut your hair off your arm” sharp, but it will perform nicely. There are a lot of sticks and branches on the ground from the surrounding trees, it takes a while to actually find one strong enough to fit my need, but I finally find one and start the search for something to tie the two together. My first instinct is these vines that are all around the trees’ roots, and they’re surprisingly strong. They’re rather thick, but for the first spear, they will do nicely. If I come across something strong and thinner, then I will change them out in the future. I realize now that I just made a spear, and will still probably need a knife, and a way of carrying them both. . Fuck. I start again on the sharding process, and a million screamed curses later, I have a blade again. I find some more vines and a shorter stick, and I now have a knife. I realize that, even though the curses were induced by pain, they actually helped ease my mind a bit. Screaming into the void does that sometimes. I find some large leaves, grab some vines, and tie them closed and create a makeshift belt to attach both my spear and knife to my waist. I’m starting to look like a proper survivalist now, well probably not in my casual-ish dress clothes, but I’m deciding to ignore that. Calling myself a survivalist anyway. Who’s gonna stop me? I probably should’ve looked for a jacket or something at the lab but that note. . It disturbed me. I had to get out of there. I will not dwell on that until I have a decent camp setup. It’s getting close to nightfall, and from the sunset I figure out my cardinal directions. Back towards the lab is north, away is south, and so on and so forth. That’s very useful, having the lab to remember them. Even amidst the trees, I can see the hill, standing proudly among the vast wilderness that has surrounded it over the years. Oh, shit. I haven’t even thought of trying to figure out what year it is. I’m not exactly sure how I intend to do that, maybe I try to find people and they should know? I’ll keep these thoughts for the morning. I need to figure out how I’m going to sleep. My first idea is to climb a tree, but I’ve never been a sound sleeper. I would definitely fall out and bash my head into the ground. A small hut would take too long, so I decide to make a makeshift sleeping bag out of various leaves found all over the place. There are really big ones that don’t even match the trees around here, that’s somewhat concerning but I am exhausted, another thought for the morning. I called it a makeshift sleeping bag, but honestly it’s just like 5 leaves I threw on top of me out of pure laziness. I’m exhausted. It does not feel like I just woke up from a however many years nap. Anyway, I get as comfortable as I can on the hard dirt, make sure my spear and knife are ready for any use I may need, and roll over to try to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I awaken to the sun shining on my face, and know immediately that it’s near 6 A.M. That’s way more than I normally sleep, a good 10ish hours? Due to late nights at the lab and early mornings returning, I normally run on 4-6 hours, perfectly fine. I know that that’s technically within the range of what’s recommended but it’s extremely weird to me. Anyway, I see that I’m still not a sound sleeper, based on my leaf ‘blanket’ being scattered all over the place. My tools are still in the same place, which surprises me, but it’s cool that I didn’t cut myself accidentally while I was asleep. I get up and begin to think of what I need to do today. Food. That’s the main priority today. Once again, I think about spearfishing, and now having made a spear I decide to give it a try. After an hour of cursing, tripping over myself in the water, and nearly stabbing myself in the foot about 50 times, I end up with a whopping.. 2 fish. They’re decently sized so I’m somewhat happy and will be able to eat on them for a bit. Maybe with practice I’ll get better? I will need a different food source for the time being, though. Maybe I should try foraging for a bit, I did learn a tiny amount about edible plants and such, I think? My memory is still really hazy, but maybe I’ll be able to recognize what is edible and what isn’t? I still have a lot of daylight left, so it’s worth a shot.   
I begin venturing in the forest, once again, tripping over roots and vines. I start thinking of everything that’s going on while I’m looking for any food, mainly about what the hell happened to the other people in the pods. Was I really the only one to survive? I didn’t see any blood or anything near the pods, but I really didn’t look that closely. It’s still possible they woke up, and maybe they’re still alive, trying to survive, just like I am.. If I could find one of them.. Maybe I can find Jade. It just hit me that she was in one of those pods too. I’m slowly remembering details of what happened right before I was put into the pod. Before, all I could remember was being lowered into it, and seeing my father’s hands through the glass. But now, I remember a few random conversations beforehand. I think I was being put into the pod for just a test, I was meant to come out after a week. Something must’ve happened to stop them from releasing me.. I wonder what. The lab was under a lot of pressure from the government.. For some reason. Having memory loss really annoys me. I’ve always had a great memory, remembering small details of random ass conversations, and now, I can’t even remember my name. It’s fucking awful. Maybe I should go back to the lab and search for clues. I definitely need to go back soon, and check on that note, see if I’ve gotten a response. Not right now, though. I need to give them more time, it’s only been a day. Maybe in a few days.  
I’ve been walking around for about 20 minutes now, and I’m not familiar with any of these plants. I guess I should’ve expected that, considering that I don’t even recognize the trees. The trees are really weird, too. They have different sets of leaves, some kind of look like palm tree leaves, but some look like normal oak tree leaves. There’s a few other types among the branches, which are weird themselves. They differ, a lot, from one another. Some are thick and short, some are long and thin. It’s kind of common to have different branches but.. These are weird. It’s like multiple trees have mutated into one. The only normal thing about it is the color. At the stump, it looks like a normal oak tree, but that’s where the similarities end. I don’t really understand how palm fronds and oak leaves are growing out of a single tree, but I push that to the back of my mind. It’s not really important, just something I’ll ask if I ever find anyone else. I decide to give up on finding edible plants and return back to base, which is.. somewhere. I can’t even see the lab right now, so I just start walking back towards where I think I came from, and hope for the best. I keep looking around, trying to spot the lab, so I can get a sense of direction. I know the lab is to the north, and my base is to the east. So, if I can find an opening, I can find my way home. I walk in the same direction for around 10 minutes, until I am finally able to see the lab. I’ve been going west this whole time.. Fuck. I turn around, making sure to continue in the same direction, and start making my way back. I have an idea to create a type of net that will help a lot with fishing, so I don’t have to rely solely on spearfishing. I am nowhere close to good enough at it for it to be my only food source. As I’m walking, I get lost in my thoughts and try not to trip over any roots. Soon, after maybe five minutes, I get hit in the head with something hard.  
I am discombobulated for a moment, after cursing trying to figure out what the fuck that was, I realize it could’ve been someone throwing something. I awkwardly draw my spear, just in case. I examine my surroundings, looking for any signs of someone else being here. I look at my feet and see.. a coconut. Well, it resembles a coconut, but it’s smooth, not having the .. hairs? The shit that grows on the shell of a coconut? Whatever they’re called, this thing does not have them. I look around once again, and figure out that it must’ve fallen from a tree. After thinking about my ‘bad luck’ I realize that this is actually great. I found something else that may be edible. To see if the interior also resembles a coconut, I get my knife out, and begin trying to cut it. In short, it does not work. The thing is pretty light, but the shell is hard as a rock. I start banging it on a tree, seeing if I can somehow break it open, and to my surprise, it breaks after three hits. The inside looks just like a coconut, white meat all over the shell, and a lot of coconut water, which got all over my clothes and hands. I need to make a bag, somehow, so I can get more of these. This is an amazing find, and means that I won’t have to only live off fish, which is a plus. I’m not the biggest fan of eating fish, especially that of which has been cooked on a campfire. Not the best. Anyway, these trees are all over the place, so I don’t really worry about getting many coconuts. I can find them at base as well. With that, I start my journey again.   
It takes about 30 minutes for me to find the river, and I was pretty far north of my base, so walking there took another 5. I keep calling it a base, but honestly, it’s just a campfire. I will probably move it in the future, this is a very temporary thing, just something to help me survive for the time being. I should build some kind of shelter, though. I need to have protection from any rain that may come. I decide to start on that, I started thinking of a design while I was walking. It’s simple, but should be sturdy. I start collecting sticks and vines, and put them in a large pile right next to my fire, so I don’t have to continuously gather materials. After I get what I think should be enough, I start working. I start off by making a shovel, using a leftover shard from when I was making a spear, and I start digging, making a hole large enough to be able to sleep in, and a bit more space for storage. I plan on making indents in the dirt to store my tools in, just so I don’t have to keep sleeping right next to them. I want to avoid the possibility of stabbing myself in my sleep as much as I can, for obvious reasons. The digging process does not go quite as smoothly as I expected. I fix this by getting some water and pouring it on the dirt, to soften it up a bit. That makes it a lot easier, and the hole is done very quickly. I use some of the mud from the hole to build a small barrier around it, just to protect from any water getting into my base. Not an amazing system, but it will do for now. I will probably dig a moat type thing later, but I don’t think there is enough daylight for that. The process is long and boring, but after about an hour, the barrier and hole are complete. Now, while the mud is drying, I start tying together sticks to make a sturdy column type thing to support the roof. I tie 4 sticks together, to make it as strong as I can. Now, I’m not short, about six feet tall, so I got the longest sticks I could, all of them coming just above my shoulder. I’ll have to slouch a bit when I’m entering, but it should be enough for me to stand straight while I’m in the divot. The whole purpose of it is for laying down anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. The hole I dug is about seven feet long, five feet wide, and three feet deep. It’ll do nicely for a sleeping spot. The barrier I built is about a foot tall, I can’t really make it taller, because I wouldn’t be able to fit into the shelter if I did. Anyway, I’ve put together four sets of sticks, and begin putting together the roof.   
The roof was fucking annoying to put together. I tied four sticks together, end to end, to form a rectangle. First of all, tying them tight enough to not shift and ruin the shape was by far the worst part. But, after I finally figured out that, it got considerably easier. I just lay sticks across the rectangle, and tie them in place. I start tying vines so that they lay across the rectangle, and make it so they're close enough together to stop most of any water from entering the structure. After that is done, I get some leaves, get some mud and kind of cement them together with mud close to the ends so they will stay in the shape I want. It doesn't take very long, so the mud in the hole and the barrier hasn't even had a chance to fully dry yet, so I decide to look for more of those coconut things so I have more than just the fish for food. I venture to the other side of the river, which may be a mistake, since my clothes are now soaking wet, but there is plenty of daylight left for it to dry. I get to the other side, and proceed into the forest. I don't walk far, maybe 15 feet? Suddenly, the world turns upside down.


	3. Chapter 3

I got caught in a snare. That I know for sure. What I don’t know, is who the fuck set it. I was under the impression that I was alone in this forest. If I'm not, then how have I not seen any traces of life? I've explored quite a bit of this forest, but haven't seen anything, at all. I don't understand how that could be possible, but here we are. Upside down, and hanging from a tree, about 10 feet in the air. Not a great position, it's very uncomfortable, honestly. I don't know how I'm keeping such a level head, considering that my life could be in danger. My spear and knife both fell during the motion of being lifted, and the rope is much to strong to do anything with my hands. I try untying myself for a few minutes, but figure out that it's impossible rather quickly. Guess I have to wait for my captors, then. Great. After all that work, I get trapped by some unknown person or people, and my life is in their hands. I do hope they're friendly, but there's no telling, at this point. There's no point in worrying, considering I can't really do anything about it either way. After about 5 minutes of silence and chuckling to myself about the stupid situation I've gotten myself into, I begin hearing laughter. Fucking laughter. I scream out, "I CAN HEAR YOU LAUGHING. COME OUT ALREADY." What I see next is not what I expected, at all. A man, well more of a boy, probably 16-17, drops from a nearby tree and lands in front of me with perfect grace. That cannot be good for his knees. It was like a 20 feet drop, at least.  
I look my new acquaintance up and down, well, I guess down and up, considering I'm upside down. He's pretty built, and from the 20 feet jump he just landed, it doesn't really surprise me. He's wearing what seems to be fur, which is surprising, considering it's hot as hell in this forest. It looks like there were sleeves, but they've been cut off. His muscular arms are on full display, and his legs are no different. Once again, fur, but what I assume to have previously been pants, have also been cut off, showing his calves. He has a pretty fair complexion, similar to mine, and he has jet black hair down to his shoulders. Guess there's not a barber in the forest. He has a goofy smile on his face, looking at me upside down. I can't sense any malice in the smile, either, he genuinely seems like he thinks it's funny that I'm trapped here. In perfect English, he says "Got yaself in quite a situation, don't ya buddy?" His grammar isn't perfect, but it's perfectly understandable. I reply, "Yeah, I do. Mind getting me down?" The smile drops from his face, and he's completely serious. "Nah, I have some questions for you first." I can tell that my surprise is shown on my face, because he starts laughing at me. A genuine, joyful laugh. It's really nice to hear, it's been ages since I heard one. "I'm just joshing you bud, don't worry." He moves towards the rope that's holding me up, and with one quick motion, he slices it, freeing me from my suspension. The bad thing, though, he sends me falling to the ground, face first. Luckily, my instincts are quick enough to not land on my face, but I still land on my back, hard enough to knock the breath out of my lungs. He starts laughing hysterically again, of course. He's kind of starting to piss me off, but he doesn't seem hostile. After I regain my breath, I realize that he's looking at my spear and knife. With a pretty sarcastic tone, he says "Did you make these yaself? Ya obviously not from any of the tribes 'round here. None of them would dare send someone out with this shit." I reply, shocked that he would be so rude "Yes, I made them myself. I had limited resources, thank you very much." With the last syllable, I walk over and swipe my spear from his hands. I return it to my belt, making it clear that I don't want to fight. He's obviously used to this environment, and he could definitely kick my ass. He has a bow, the string across his chest, the shaft wrapped around his back, and a wicked looking knife, made from some black metal that I've never seen, and the handle seems like it's made out of wood from the surrounding trees. The craftsmanship is actually really impressive, the handle looks like it's made to fit in his hand, perfectly smooth, and seems like it was shiny at one point, but has lost it overtime from regular use. I can't even come back at him about my equipment, because his is obviously superior. He backs away with his arms raised, suggesting that he surrenders in the argument. "Hey man, I didn't mean any offense by it. Just surprised me, that's all. Where did you come from, anyway? Your clothes don't look like anything I've ever seen. I look down, my jeans are tattered, and there's a few holes in my shirt as well. "It's a long story. You seem to know a lot about this place, what can you tell me about it?" He thinks for a moment, and finally replies "It would probably be best to just take you back to my pop. Can you climb?" After struggling up the tree, getting smacked in the face by branches guy is using, I just realized that I never asked for his name, I should probably do that when we get to wherever we're going, I finally make it up to the branch he's standing on. "What's you name, by the way?" He replies "Johnny. You?" Without thinking, I say "You can call me Leo." He seems confused, probably because of the face I make after it leaves my mouth. I realized immediately that this is the first time I've actually been able to remember my name. "You okay, Leo?" "Yeah, I've been having trouble remembering a lot of things, and that's the first time I actually remembered my name." "Memory loss, eh? Did ya get hit in the head or something?" "It's a part of the long story I mentioned. I'll explain once we get to your pop." With that settled, he moves into action very quickly, leaping to another branch without hesitation. I hesitate for a moment, but something in my head just goes 'fuck it' and I take the jump. I make it rather easily, the stiffness in my muscles I've been feeling is mostly gone at this point, so it makes sense that I'm near 100% again. I'm actually pretty muscular, I think I used to work out with my dad, a lot. Johnny is leaping from branch to branch like a goddamn monkey, barely stopping to breathe. Guess he grew up doing this, I'm assuming it's common with his 'tribe,' I think that's what he called it, anyway. I really struggle to keep up with him, but soon, I begin to see rope bridges stretching from tree to tree, fully concealed by the leaves below. Once he reaches the beginning of one, he stops, and looks back. "Damn, ya actually managed to stay that close to me? Not bad, rookie." I don't really appreciate the new nickname, but I just smile in response. He takes that as a sign of the conversation's finish, and starts walking across the bridge. As I follow, I realize it's really sturdy, a pretty standard rope bridge, two ropes on the side, two ropes parallel to them about 3 feet above for handrails, and roughly shaped wooden planks stretching in between them for the footpath. Once the bridge ends, another one begins. It seems to go on for a while, with no end in site. After what seems like forever, I begin seeing structures among the trees. I can't see much yet, but as I get closer, it takes my breath away. There is a giant system of huts, all of them seem to be made from the same wood we're standing on. They're not huge, about the size of a bedroom, but that doesn't change the fact that it's impressive. Johnny sees the look on my face and chuckles. "Have ya never seen a treetop village before?" The fact that he says that like it's a common thing baffles me. Are there really more villages like this? My thoughts are cut off by him once again, "They aren't too common, pretty sure we're the only ones that have something like this, but we have brother tribes that are exactly like this, all around this forest. We've been watching you the entire time, ya know." That last part gets to me. "What do you mean you've been watching me?" He responds quickly, "Well, ya know that coconut(!!!) that hit ya in the head earlier? Yeah. That was me." "What? You threw that at me" "Yeah. I was assigned to watch ya and I got bored. Decided to spice it up a little. The fact that you drew that spear in response gave me quite a laugh, almost blew my cover." I can't help but laugh, that's something I would do, too. "You got me good man, I was worried for a second when it hit me." He snorts, and lets out a small giggle. "Sorry about that bud, you're not very entertaining to just watch. Ya trying to fish with that spear was funny though." I let out a sigh, and we continue on.  
The size of the village is incredible. We've been walking through it, getting a lot of strange looks from the inhabitants of the buildings. But Johnny seems to have the trust of them, so they just give some glances and just continue on what they were doing originally. They're all dressed similarly, with this fur like fabric, of various styles. Some followed in Johnny's footsteps, and cut off the sleeves and bottoms, but a lot of them still have both. They're all of similar stature, broad shoulders, thick hands, and all are pretty tall. Most of them are around my height, some even towering over me. The buildings all have rope bridges connecting them, and all have slanted roofs, with barriers around where the footpaths are. I'm assuming that's to make any rain go directly to the forest floor, instead of going onto the paths. It's quite smart, honestly, and I don't see any water damage, so it seems effective. I don't know how long this village has been here, but I'm assuming a long time, based on how many there are. Johnny hasn't talked in a while, which is surprising, he seems like the type that talks any time he can, but I don't think much of it. Before long, A much larger building comes into view. It's circular, with a wooden balcony type thing surrounding it, extending about five feet. There are many different rope bridges leading to this building, so it's obviously important. I'm assuming a city hall type thing? I'm not sure. Johnny walks straight towards it, and I follow. We finally reach the door, and I catch my first glimpse inside. It's really impressive, extremely tall walls absolutely covered in carvings, seeming to be depicting a story. In a lot of them, one man is shown doing random things. Killing something that resembles a bear, one has him fighting a tiger, and in one closest to the center of the back wall has him kneeling, with a bow being placed into his hands. The carvings cover every available inch of the visible wall. The contents of the room are pretty bare. Things resembling pillows are spread out around the center of the room, five of them in a semi-circle, and one larger one in the middle of them. In the larger one, a man is sitting on hid knees, and he seems to be meditating, or just deep in thought. He's easily the tallest person I've seen here, at least 6'8, maybe more, it's hard to tell with him sitting. He has long hair, black and down to his shoulders like Johnny, but the similarities end there. This man has a mean beard, reaching below his breasts, and some braids are tied into his hair, with a couple charms tied to them. One looks like a broken spear tip, and something that resembles a bear claw. He was a large scar on his left cheek, right below his eye. He's wearing fur leggings, similar to those I've seen before, but his chest is completely uncovered. His body hair makes up for the lack of clothing, though. It literally covers his entire chest, with it trailing into a point as it gets lower. He carries a wicked looking curved sword, made out of the same black metal that Johnny's knife is made out of, and has a bow strapped across his chest, with a quiver full of arrows on his back.  
Johnny strolls right in, and makes himself at home in one of the extra pillows strewn across the sides of the room. Casually, he says "What's up pop?" The man slowly opens his eyes and notices me, but doesn't question a thing. "I guess you made contact with the boy, Johnny." His voice is extremely deep and booming, it fills the room without him even raising his voice. I recognize immediately that this man is a leader, it's not hard to tell. His energy is serious and brooding, like the calm before a thunderstorm. I definitely want to stay on this guy's good side. Johnny replies, "Yeah, the dumbass got stuck in one of our snares, I kind of had to step in." The man let's out a low chuckle, "Sorry about that. We have those traps set all around this side of the forest, I expected you to stay on the other side of the river." I reply, "It's on me, I should've been more aware of my surroundings. I didn't really know that there were people around here, though. By the way, what can I call you?" He begins to reply, but Johnny interrupts him "Chief works, that's what most people around here call him." "So you're the village chief then?" Chief replies, "You could say that. Some people call me a 'god,' some call me 'the chosen one,' they have a lot of names they call me. It's pretty excessive, if you ask me. I haven't been called my actual name in so long." I respond, curious, "Wait, you said people refer you to as a god and the chosen one? Why?" He lets out a long sigh, "You see this bow on my chest? It's considered a sacred weapon. The last village chief had it, and it was handed down to me when he fell ill. The selection ceremony for who receives it is long and hard, and starts at every male's birth. Every one in the village is examined for it, and it's kind of a big deal around here. I don't care much for it, I just want to hunt. But, it is a great honour and I take it seriously, I just miss being able to go on hunts with my brothers, I haven't been able to in so long." I suddenly feel bad for the guy. He didn't ask for this, he just wants to enjoy himself with his brothers, but it's impossible because he was chosen. Pretty lame if you ask me. "Where are your brothers?" He smiles, as if thinking back on good memories. "They're leading different parts of our tribes, we have sectors all around the forest. Since I'm considered the chief, my family is very respected among all of the villagers, and they were adopted as leaders of their respective areas. The two of them are doing very well for themselves, or so I've heard. I haven't seen them in months. Anyway, enough of my story, tell me yours. Who are you? Where did you come from?" I kind of forgot that they have no idea what I'm doing here, oops. I can't really say that I know much about why or how I'm here either, though. "How much time do you have? It's a long story." Chief lets out a low chuckle. "I have plenty of time. Begin."  
So, I told them everything that I could remember. Being back in 2023, prepping for weeks upon weeks trying to get the pods running, waking up yesterday. I found myself remembering more details as I spoke, I just got lost in telling my story. I remembered why we were rushing trying to make the pods functional now. Nuclear warfare. The relationships between the powerhouse countries were deteriorating quickly, and a war was coming fast. It was our responsibility, among many other labs, to try to get our hands on cryostasis, so we could save important figures and people that would be helpful to rebuilding. That went well. Instead of those people, they got a 18 year old nerd that mindlessly fiddles with pipe cleaners and does pushups for fun. I guess it is possible that others survived, but if they did, it's going to be really fucking hard to find them. By the time that thought had passed, I was nearly done with my explanation. Chief and Johnny's faces were both in shock, obviously having a hard time processing it. Johnny finally cuts the silence, "Well, that explains your weird lookin' clothes." I chuckle, "Yeah. This is what I normally wore, alongside a labcoat when I was at the lab. They're a bit torn up now, but you get the jist." Chief finally speaks, after a few minutes of thinking silently. "You say you came from that building on the hilltop? I have heard from my people that there have been a few outsiders going to and from, but I had no idea it was something like this." That sentence gets to me. "Wait, there have been multiple people going to the lab?" "Yes. One person in a black cloak, and a few others in odd clothing, that kind of resemble yours. It's as if they're checking on something, maybe they knew you were in that pod?" That gets me thinking. Clothes that resemble mine? That has to be the others in the pod. "Do you know where these people are right now?" "No, as soon as they leave the forest, my people stop watching them. We do not care for anything that happens outside of our home." Chief replies. I think, feeling a bit defeated. "Do you at least know which way they went?" He thinks for a moment. "Yes, they went straight east, other than that I have no idea." I can't help but smile. There is hope. Jade might actually be alive. I can't believe it. "Okay, great. I will search for them soon, but before that happens, can you do me a favor?" Chief raises one eyebrow in confusion. "Depends on what you're asking." I chuckle, and reply. "I want you to teach me how to fight."


	4. Chapter 4

The hunters don't fuck around when it comes to fighting. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I asked for training. I figured that they knew a small bit about fighting, more than me anyway, but I severely underestimated them. They're literal barbarians. Mainly using a dagger like Marcus's for close range, and a bow for mid to long. Chief and Marcus lead me to a large platform, off the right side of the main building we were in before. Within it was a fighting ring, a small archery range, and a lot of dummies for dagger practice. The dagger techniques they're teaching me are insane, combos containing at least 5 hits, simple swipes and stabs, and a lot of wrestling and different types of holds. The amount of ways I was choked out was ridiculous. I always tried keeping my consciousness, but in the end the pure strength of the hunters overwhelmed me and I ended up tapping out. They had me sparring with many different people, which were very accepting once Chief briefly explained my situation. They also realized I knew nothing about fighting rather quickly, so they weren't worried about me being a threat. They commended me on my strength, and were really nice about teaching me. They had a bit too much fun bullying me, but hey, I'm learning and a good sport when I don't know how to do something, so I ended up having fun. Chief had me training with four guys, including Marcus. There was Henry, Nathan, and Luke, with Chief watching over us. They were all about my age, or a bit younger like Marcus. They all stood at similar heights, 5'11 or 6'0, so right up around me. All of them have been training since they were really young, and it shows. I wouldn't be surprised if the fought bears bare handed for fun, that's how skilled and strong they were. It would explain all the fur clothing. Before I knew it, Chief told us we'd spar one last time, and I could choose my opponent. I smiled, and silently pointed straight to Marcus. I had been watching him spar with the others, and learning his style, his strengths, but most importantly, his weaknesses. He had a tendency to keep really loose on his feet, to allow quick movements. It was a good style, but he lacked balance and coordination. Therefore, if I go for his legs, then I should be able to get my first win. Him and I get inside the ring, and take our starting stances. Like I said, he was light on his feet, so he was bouncing around to stay loose, and I took a pretty standard pose, anchored to the ground so he couldn't make me lose my balance. I make sure to be careful with this, because I'm normally pretty clumsy. But with how little I plan on moving, I'll be alright.   
Chief shouts "Begin." 

We slowly make our way towards one another. The ring was about 15 feet in diameter, so we had a lot of room to move around, and we had a lot of space between us. I start with a lunge, but don't fully commit. He dodges, and he's nearly off balance. That is when I take my shot. I sweep his feet, and he's on the ground immediately, landing on his stomach. I quickly hop on his back, wrap my arms around his throat, and plant my feet straddling his torso. He couldn't get me to lose balance no matter how much he tried. One good thing I have is my strength. He pries at my forearms with his hands, trying his best to get me to loosen my grip, he's not one to give up easily, and he has an insane lung capacity. I knew we would be like this for a while. He's really squirmy, trying to escape, so I plant my knee into his lower back. He's trapped, and there's nothing he can do about it. Thirty seconds pass. A minute. A minute and a half. He's trying his best to get away, but I don't let up. My stamina has fully recovered, so it takes a lot for me to get out of breath. After about two minutes of being held down, he finally taps. I look up at the others, smiling. They're dead silent. The look of shock in their faces is honestly hilarious.   
I shrug, and casually say "I'm a fast learner."   
Chief lets out a mighty laugh, and the others quickly join him.   
Henry chimes in, "Marcus, I can't believe you let the rookie beat you."   
Marcus is still recovering his breath, but smiles, and says, "Hey, I'd like to see you go against that. Were you holding back on us before?"   
I chuckle in response, "No, but I've always been very observant. Your style has a major weakness, and that's your balance. If someone knows how to get you off your feet and has the strength to keep you down, you're done for."   
Chief chuckles. "I've been telling him that for ages. Never listens. But hey, he has a great fighting record, so I can't really say much."   
That confuses me for a moment. "Fighting record? You keep track of that?"   
Chief replies, "Not practice matches like this, but every month we have a small tournament with different age groups. Marcus is a recurring winner of 15-17. His style is so different from all the other fighters, as I'm sure you noticed. No one's figured out how to beat it without a little luck. Except you. I'm impressed."   
That one makes me smile. I've always been really observant, especially in things that I'm interested in. Never thought it would come in handy here.   
"Thanks Chief, that means a lot. But I still have a lot to improve on. I gotta figure out how to take the others down, I didn't spot any fatal flaws within their styles."   
Chief smiles, "Hey, it takes time. You've done really well, especially your first day. Now come on, it's near dinner time. Time you learn how to feast."   
I thought the main building was impressive, but it doesn't even begin to compare to the mess hall. It was about forty feet in length, twenty feet wide, and the ceiling was at least fifteen feet high. There was a massive table stretching from the door to the back wall, with walking space in between each end. There are about 15 chairs on each side, with two chairs on the end, obviously being Chief's seat. People have already started filing in, taking their seats.   
As I'm finishing this thought, Chief puts his hand on my shoulder and begins guiding me towards the two chairs at the end. "My lady is in one of our brother tribes right now, so you can sit in her seat for the time being." 

Now, I normally don't like having attention set on me, but being in public will probably allow me to get information more reliably. I plan to start asking more questions about this cloaked figure Chief mentioned, and the others that have been visiting. He said the others wore clothes similar to mine, they have to be the survivors of the pods, or maybe other pods from across the country. My father was not the only one that was researching cryostasis, so it's possible. The one in the black cloak, however, they worry me. Why is a grim reaper looking motherfucker going to and from the lab? That's honestly something Jade would pull, just to mess with me. But even she wouldn't do that right now, right? Maybe I'm hesitant because I want an excuse to believe she's alive. Maybe my mind is just trying to figure out why the grim reaper was visiting me and leaving me notes. I don't know, and I don't really want to know more about it. I'll just try to find more out about the others that have been spotted. I'm sure everything will fall into place eventually, but I'm going to learn as much as I can here. 

Pretty much every seat has been filled now, I spot Henry, Nathan, and Luke mixed in with the others, and Marcus is sitting to the right of Chief. People have began talking, I overhear a few conversations, a lot including "Who is the kid next to Chief?" or something along those lines. That's to be expected, I'm still in my old clothes so I stick out like a sore thumb. I think about asking Chief if I could get some new ones, but before I get the chance, he stands. This action completely silences every conversation, they really do respect him. He begins speaking, and everyone is paying close attention to what he's saying. He's straight to the point, and immediately begins explaining who I am and why I'm here. "This boy next to me has descended from the forbidden ground on the hilltop."   
Chief pauses, and a collective gasp escapes everyone's lips. Apparently the lab is a big deal around here. It kind of was back when it was running too, so it's not really surprising. The town I lived in was very small, and had mostly wooden buildings and houses. The lab was among the few stone buildings we had, along with the schools and the bank. I'm sure the remains of them are around here somewhere.   
Chief continues, "I know you guys will be hesitant in accepting him, but I stand with him, and will deal with him personally if he shows any signs of negative intentions. He will be staying with us for the next few weeks, and will be leaving and pursuing the outsiders that have been visiting the forbidden ground. If any of you have an issue with this, take it up with me, not him. Before we eat, does anyone have any questions?" 

For a moment, there's complete silence. After about 20 seconds, a hand is raised, from a woman that is sitting a few seats down from Marcus. Her facial features suggest that she isn't much older than me, but she is at least 5'10, only a few inches shorter than me. She wears similar clothing to everyone else, with the sleeves of her shirt cut off. Chief glances at the woman, and she stands. "Why have you chosen to accept him? He could be a spy."   
Chief looks agitated by this, "Miranda, did I not just explain that I would take care of him personally if he threatens us? He is a newcomer to our world, and it would be wrong to just assume he's a threat without any reason. I've spoken to him quite a lot, and have only sensed ignorance and good intentions. He has even offered help to us, anywhere we need it, in exchange for training and a place to stay."   
Miranda looks confused. "A newcomer to our world? How do you mean?"   
Chief gives me a glance, and I stand. I begin explaining. "I don't know how long it's been, but I have just awoken from a .. nap, you could say. I've been asleep for at least a few centuries, and I just want to try to get back with the others that are in a similar situation. Chief has confirmed that there are people that have been visiting the lab, and they wear clothes similar to mine. They have to be the others. I just ask for shelter and some training, and in return I’ll do anything you wish of me. I swear, I don’t have any ill intentions.”   
A silence fills the room, and it lingers for at least two minutes.   
Chief breaks the silence, "Well, if that's settled, let's eat."  
The hunters know how to feast. Three course meals were normal where I lived, appetizer, entree, then dessert, but they're on an entire different level. First of all, it's nothing but meat. I guess that's what I should have expected, given that it's a hunting village. I don’t recognize the taste at all, but it’s delicious. I didn’t realize how hungry I was, but I can barely control myself with all this food in front of me. Without even thinking, I dig in.   
As I’m eating, I find my mind wandering once again. I’ve known that my memory is hazy, but I’ve only just realized that I have clear memories of my father and the lab, but that’s about it. I don’t remember much about anything else. I know I always spent the majority of my time with my family, Dad, Mom, and Jade, but I don’t remember anything else I did.   
My thoughts are cut short by Marcus elbowing my bicep.   
‘C’mon man, why’re ya just staring off into space? Mingle a bit, you need to earn the others’ trust like ya did me and Pops.’  
He’s right, even deep in thought, I caught multiple people stealing glances at me, with a concerned look in their face. I can't really blame them, though. It’s probably been a very long time since an outsider has been within their midst like this. 

With that thought, I decide to take Marcus’s advice. I’m mostly finished eating so I begin walking around, like a lot of the others have. There are many groups formed, friends I’m assuming, but people seem to be moving from one to another quite often. So, I walk up to the nearest group, made up of five people, most of which I haven't met yet. They're all tall, in the standard hunter clothing. They don't seem to be talking about anything very important, they're all laughing and smiling, seems to be a very relaxed environment. I see one familiar face, Luke, on the other side of the circle of people and he immediately smiles at me as I make my approach. He walks around the people and grabs me by the shoulder, and introduces me.  
“This is Leo, I know he doesn’t look like much but he managed to take Marcus down after just a day of sparring.”  
I shoot Luke an annoyed glance, that's really not what I wanted my first impression to be like. He doesn't catch it, so I regain my composure rather quickly.The statement caused a lot of surprised reactions, quite a few raised eyebrows and stifled gasps. One guy kept his mouth open for quite a while. I hadn't really paid any attention to him, so I look him up and down for the first time, but he's not much different than all of the other hunters I've come across. Similar build, brown hair, but he has piercing blue eyes, which I haven't seen on a hunter so far. Pretty much everyone has brown or greenish eyes. He's around my height, and wearing the fur-like fabric standard to pretty much everyone around here. He's cut off the legs and arms, and he's split the chest piece in half on the front, so it looks like an open vest.   
‘Wait, he won against the reigning champ?’  
His voice was very deep and gruff, sounding like a seasoned hunter, even though he appeared to be around my age, maybe a bit older. The look in his eyes is something I recognize. Jealousy. I’ve no idea why, but the idea of a newbie beating Marcus seriously bothered him.   
Luke chuckles lightly and responds, ‘Yeah Eric, he managed to take him down. No need to get jealous, I know your rivalry has been rough for you recently.’  
Alright well that explains it, they’ve got a rivalry and he’s obviously been on the losing side for a while considering Marcus is reigning champ right now, makes sense as to why he’d have some distaste for me. No point in overthinking it, I doubt it’ll be a problem.   
Eric sneers in response, 'I wouldn't say rough, but sure'   
The annoyance in his voice is clear, and everyone seems to notice. No one but he and Luke are talking, everyone seeming eager to stay out of it. I don't blame them, the tension between these two is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Seems like there's more than just Eric and Marcus's rivalry going on, but I stay silent. I really didn't want to cause an issue by coming over here, but here we are. The silence hangs around for a few seconds, and another person I don't recognize speaks up.   
'I'm Ivan, and I've gotta say, it's mighty impressive that you can beat Marcus after just a day. Most of us have been trying for months now. You and me gotta spar some time soon.'   
I smile in response, 'I'm just good at analyzing fighting styles and learning counters, it's really not that big of a deal. Plus I'm pretty sure he was holding back.'  
He chuckles, 'A humble one, aren't ya? I like you. I'm sure you'll fit in 'round here quite nicely.'   
Luke chimes in, 'Chief is making us do another training session tomorrow, you're welcome to join us. We'll be out there around 9 o'clock. You know the place.'   
'Hell yeah, I'll be there. It's been a bit since I've actually sparred with someone new.'   
With that, they return to laughing and cracking jokes like before I came over. I try to stay as involved as I can, but I have to think over what I've just learned. Eric and Marcus have a distinguished rivalry, and Eric and Luke seem to have issues on a more personal level. I wonder if that affects the fighting competition in any way. I also want to ask more about the competition, I wonder if it's anytime soon? I also need to ask about their time system, I'm not entirely sure about how they keep dates and times in order. There are still so many things that I don't know about this new world. I should plan on going to Chief before training tomorrow to get more answers. A lot of people have already started clearing out, our group and one other are the only two that remain. I notice Marcus is still around, chatting with a few others in the other group. It seems to be thinning, as more people head out. Marcus begins walking towards the door, so I say my goodbyes and jog to catch up to him.  
'Hey Marcus' I raise my voice a bit because he's still about fifteen feet ahead of me.   
He turns around and notices me, stopping to give me a chance to catch up.  
He nods his head in greeting, "Sup?"  
'You have any idea where I'll be sleeping? I just realized I haven't asked yet.'  
"Oh, right. I'm not sure what pops has planned, you want to go ask him? I'll take ya to him. "  
'That would be great, thanks.'  
He leads me back the way we came, and we arrive at the building where I first met with Chief. He's where I originally found him, but this time he's joined by a few people. I recognize Miranda, the one that questioned my trustworthiness at dinner, and the others were sitting alongside her as well. They must be a part of the important families of the tribe, to be sitting so close to Chief and to be meeting with him at this hour. I overhear some of their conversation.  
"-do we know we can trust him?"  
This question obviously annoys Chief, it's all over his face.   
He lets out an exasperated sigh. "I told you at dinner, and I'll tell you again. I will take full responsibility for the boy. If he shows any sign of malice, I will exile him myself. Isn't that enough?  
She takes this into consideration for a moment, and begins speaking again. "Yes but-"  
Chief immediately cuts her off, "I am the chief of this village. I do not care what you think, my decision is final. If you have an issue with my ruling, you know tradition. Fight me yourself and take my power if you're so against it."   
This shocks everyone in the room, and Marcus audibly gasps at his father's reaction. This causes everyone to turn their heads and look at us standing in the doorway. Damn it, I wanted to continue listening.   
Chief speaks up, "Hello boys, how can I help you?"  
It takes a moment, but Marcus finally replies. "Sorry to interrupt ya pops, but Leo here needs a place to sleep."  
Chief chuckles, "Of course, we have an extra cot in our house, just give him that for the night. We can figure something else more permanent out at a later time."   
"Yes sir, I'll take him there now and let y'all get back to the meeting. Sorry again."  
This shocks me, Marcus actually seems nervous. Is it because of the fight proposal? We immediately turn around, and I'm following Marcus once again. I take a moment to appreciate the vast system of walkways and bridges created from nothing but wood, connecting every building that makes up the village. Two main walkways on either side of gap about twenty feet wide, with bridges spanning it periodically. Houses line each walkway, all of them almost identical in the front, with those slanted roofs that I still assume are there to avoid water buildup from rain. They're all about twenty-five feet wide, with a door in the direct center, and two windows on either side. This distracts me for a moment, but I realize I should check in on Marcus. He's been really quiet since we left the building.  
'Hey, you alright? You seem distressed.'  
"Yeah, I'm cool. Just been awhile since I've seen pops threaten a fight like that. Caught me off guard is all."  
'Yeah fair enough, I didn't really expect it either. I do appreciate him looking out for me though, it means a lot. I do want to apologize for causing problems. I didn't expect such a negative reaction. Is that Miranda woman important?'  
Marcus thinks for a moment, "Not really, pops has all the power. Her family has been a part of the chief's council for generations now. They just help him make decisions that affect the tribe. She holds no real power. But if she accepts that fight, it may be a problem. Fights for power are to the death, and a chief killing a council member wouldn't look so great on pops' behalf. I don't think she will though, pops is the greatest warrior we've had in generations, maybe of all time. He's been hunting barehanded since he was 10, even killed a bear without any weapon when he was just 14."  
We walk in silence for a few minutes, which is good because I have a lot to think about. Chief would really be willing to risk his life for me? He just met me today. I don't understand how he can have so much trust in that little time. I know Marcus says Miranda doesn't even have a chance, but I've already caused so many issues. Maybe it'd be better if I left sooner than expected. I don't want to cause trouble for these folks, they've been nothing but great to me so far.   
'Hey by the way, how do y'all go about bathing around here? I haven't had a proper clean in ages. Well I did attempt to wash myself in the river, but I still feel filthy.'   
"Oh, right, we should get you some new clothes too. We can do that in the morning, I'll show you to the bath house in the morning before training."  
'Perfect, I also need to talk to Chief in the morning, I've got a few questions.'  
"Anything I can help with?"  
Oh, right I could always ask Marcus. I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. 'I was wondering how you guys keep a track of time and dates, I heard Luke say 9 o'clock earlier so I imagine it's similar to the one I'm used to.'  
He takes this into consideration and thinks, as if trying to figure out how to word it. "As far as I know, the time and date system has been around since the tribe was created. Twenty-four hours in a day, seven days a week, twelve months in a year. Sound about right?"  
Wow, so they do still have the same system as what we used back in the day, perfect. 'Yeah, sounds exactly like what I'm used to. What's today's date?'  
"December 1st, 2547"   
That stops me right in my tracks. Marcus takes a second to notice, and looks back at me. "You alright?"  
'It's been over 500 years since I was put in that pod.'   
The shock on his face is accurate to how I feel. We sit in silence for a moment. "So you're telling me you sat in that hunk of metal for half a millennia?! Holy shit."   
He raised his voice out of surprise, stunning a few people that were walking across from us. I don't blame him. I knew a long time had passed, but I never expected it to be that long. I struggle to catch my breath, but Marcus continues walking as he processes it, and I appreciate the chance to get my thoughts together. What does that mean? Am I over five hundred years old? I suppose cryostasis keeps my body from aging, but I've still been alive for this long, so technically? I don't know how it works. There's no point in thinking about it too much, it'll only freak me out. I just keep walking, and suddenly, Marcus stops in front of a doorway.   
"This is our place, come on in."  
The house is like all of the others, except the skull of a bull is hung above the doorway. Symbol of the chief's house maybe? I walk in, and I'm extremely surprised about how roomy it is being actually inside one of these. The layout seems normal enough, the front area having a seating arrangement, with pillows like the ones I saw in the city hall, and a stone device that I assume is like a stove. There's a strange looking box next to it, which I assume is similar to a refrigerator, and another seating arrangement with a small table in the center to the side of the kitchen. I'm not sure why they have a kitchen since most meals seem to be served in the mess hall, but I won't question it. There are two doors near the center of the back wall, which I assume lead to bedrooms. The entire place is lit up by what look like oil lamps, five in total spread out across the room, one in the middle on the ceiling, and the other four on each wall. A large rug sits in the middle of the floor, reaching from the edge of the kitchen area well into the other seating spot, it seems like an animal hide of some kind.   
Marcus lets me look around for the bit, then points to the two doors. "The one on the right leads to my room, and the left is pops and ma's. I have an extra cot in mine, that's where you'll be sleeping tonight. I'm gonna go ahead and turn in for the night, you can come on in whenever, I'm a heavy sleeper so don't worry about wakin' me up. Goodnight."  
'Alright man, thanks again for everything you've done for me. I won't be too far behind you, goodnight.'  
He goes inside the right door, and I can hear him slam down on his cot, with a satisfied grunt. I take one more look around the room, and notice that there are more windows on either side wall, both looking straight through the neighboring houses' windows. Not much privacy, I guess. Hope it's not like that in the bedrooms too. With that thought, I begin walking towards the door, Marcus has already put out any light source that was on, and was already snoring softly in his cot. I feel my way through the dark and find my way to mine, and I cautiously sit, expecting it to be hard. To my surprise, it was actually very soft and comfortable. It was equipped with a blanket and two pillows. The blanket was insanely soft, made from, once again, some type of animal hide. I peel my shirt off, it's gotten stuck to my back from all the sweat and dirt I've built up over the past few days, I'm very excited to get some new clothes in the morning. With that final thought, I lay my head onto the pillow, and drift off to sleep.


End file.
